College Sports Gets Open Door for More Unionizing in NLRB Ruling
- Labor board refuses to address whether players are employees
- Decision applies only to Northwestern football team effort
The Northwestern Wildcats in State College, Pennsylvania.
Photographer: Justin K. Aller/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The bid for college sports’ first-ever labor union is dead. The question at the heart of the debate remains unanswered.
The National Labor Relations Board on Monday chose not to rule whether Northwestern University’s scholarship football players are employees. The decision didn’t address whether athletes at another private school or a group from multiple schools would have more success in another attempt to unionize.